Set Me Free
by GF-221b
Summary: Dark!AU. Rachel is his only friend, his only light. She lives in the mirrors as his reflection. But she is slowly sucking out his soul, feeding off his self-loathing. Enter Blaine Anderson, and the music he possesses. Kurtchel, Klaine. COMPLETE.


NAME: Set Me Free  
RATING: PG-13  
FANDOM: Glee  
CHARACTERS/PAIRINGS: pre-slash Kurt/Blaine, twisted Kurt/Rachel, Will/Hollie.  
GENRE: Fantasy/Mystery/Drama  
SUMMARY: Dark!AU. Rachel is his only friend, his only light. She lives in the mirrors as his reflection. But she is slowly sucking out his soul, feeding off his self-loathing. Enter Blaine Anderson, and the music he possesses.  
WARNINGS: AU, slash, weird plotlines, manipulated!Kurt, manipulative!Rachel.  
AU: Dalton's School For Orphans. Kurt is darker, edgier, and more depressed (less-fabulous). Rachel is more manipulative and slightly more creepy… Sorry.

STATUS: One-shot.

* * *

William Schuester had always though himself a community man. He was the founder of Dalton's School for Orphans, and only hired the best people to care for the children. People in his glorious city seemed to be leaving children everywhere nowadays, though, and it was heartbreaking. So the orphanage was packed full of all kinds of children. William's live-in girlfriend loved the orphanage and spent so much time there that he designated her as the matron.

Holly Holiday's favorite child was one Blaine Anderson, who was a gentlemanly boy aged sixteen. In two years, Holiday knew, the boy would be old enough to fend for himself, but as the state had decreed, he wasn't yet allowed not to have a legal guardian. And for some odd reason, no potential foster parents wanted him, which was a shame. They had recently given up a lovely girl by the name of Quinn to some rich couple with their consciences bearing down on them.

Blaine loved to sing and dance, and often rounded the boys together and sang songs for Ms. Holiday, and sometimes Mr. Schuester as well. All the boys were talented, and soon girls were joining and every summer night there would be a cacophony of sound and laughter. Children were often sad to leave the orphanage for families that would love and care for them.

One day, though, everything seemed to change. There was new boy in the ranks. And he was strange. He was taller than Blaine, was the first thing the other boy noticed, though he slumped his whole body so that he looked smaller. He was frail, sad-eyed, and plain to look at. He looked like he had no self-confidence whatsoever. _A boy as gorgeous as that? Why the hell not?_ Blaine thought to himself, smirking a little at him. He thought the other would open up to him after a smile, but the boy simply went into Mr. Schuester's office. And the man closed the door behind him, giving Blaine an almost grave smile.

"His name is Kurt Hummel. His father just died of a heart attack a few weeks ago. His mother died before him, when he was only eight," Holly told her favorite boarder. She straightened his uniform tie for him, and wiped something off his face with her thumb before she turned him around and gave him a light push toward the door. "Now go on, sweetie. You'll miss your first class after lunch. Don't worry about the new kid, he doesn't even start until tomorrow."

Blaine did as he was told… for he always did as he was told. But in the back of his mind… he wanted this new kid to smile and to laugh. Everyone else in this place did…

* * *

"I don't like it here," Kurt said, pacing in front of the mirror. It was strange to see, rather. He usually covered up mirrors, especially when other people were around. But he never had had any friends before this, as he was always talking to the mirror. And the mirror talked back.

A pretty young girl sat as Kurt's reflection, sitting perfectly still, as if she were sitting on a stool. There was a stool on Kurt's side of the mirror, right in front of it. Back to the girl: she was a brunette, a darker shade than Kurt's hair color. She was wearing a lovely white nightgown, and but her arms were covering her chest, and a small smirk graced her pretty face.

"Of course you don't. We were just fine living in your parents' house. And then William Schuester and the rest of the committee decided we were too young to live there alone…" she said. Her voice was lovelier still, but there was a fire behind them that Kurt either had tuned out, or had gotten used to. This girl was bad news, and yet Kurt looked at her fondly, as a servant might look upon his Queen.

"But there's no way out," Kurt replied, his voice dull as he stopped his pacing and sat on the bed. "The committee has made their decision."

"You could always go on a hunger strike," Rachel said, her voice slowing a little. Kurt felt a little warmth come over him and he nodded.

"No… I need to eat. I need… but I don't need anything else. I'll… I'll do their damn assignments and eat their damn food. But I don't need… I don't need to do anything else…"

"That's the spirit…" Rachel replied, she was treating Kurt more like he was a dog than anything else. And here he was, acting like she was the Queen of the Universe. "Show them how unhappy you are with this arrangement…"

* * *

William Schuester was worried. His new charge was acting strangely. He hardly ate anything, though he did have three meals a day. He also did nothing but study. He didn't read, he didn't join any clubs the orphanage/school offered. It was strange.

That was why one Blaine Anderson was asked up to his office.

"Kurt Hummel hasn't been responding well to the switch," Will told him, putting his fingertips together as he looked over them at the dark-haired teen. "I want you to keep an eye on him, to intervene when he shies off to go study in his room…"

"You want me to… befriend him?"

"Yes. A growing boy needs friends and hobbies. You're almost like a son to me, so… go to him and befriend him. At all costs."

* * *

The first time Blaine tried to talk to Kurt, the other boy shook him off so quickly, Blaine was left in his wake, blinking at the new boy's behavior.

The second time, however, he found Kurt in the music room after a required music class. He was touching the piano like a lover: smiling slightly as his fingers touched the cool wood. Blaine cleared his throat, making the other jump. He tried getting passed the older boy, but Blaine wouldn't let him leave.

"What's holding you back, Kurt?" Blaine suddenly asked, when Kurt had turned from Blaine and was slumping against the wall.

Kurt bristled, "None of your business," he said weakly.

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest. "She's a beauty," he said about the piano.

Kurt looked over at the instrument longingly. "My mother… she played the piano and sang. I… learned a few things from her, but stopped singing, at least, when she died. I'm rusty."

"Play for me. The piano, at least. You don't have to… sing if you don't want to…" Blaine pleaded. He was curious.

Kurt cleared his throat and looked around the room. He seemed slightly frightened when he didn't find what he was looking for, but he went to the piano anyway and sat down, lifting the lid and putting his fingers on the keys. He thought for a moment, and then began to play. Blaine, being a genius at all things music, recognized the chords and moved to the piano, putting a hand on the top of the piano as he sang, softly, as to not overpower Kurt's fantastic playing:

"_Alas, my love, you do me wrong,  
To cast me off discourteously.  
For I have loved you well and long,  
Delighting in your company._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_Your vows you've broken, like my heart,  
Oh, why did you so enrapture me?  
Now I remain in a world apart  
But my heart remains in captivity._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_I have been ready at your hand,  
To grant whatever you would crave,  
I have both wagered life and land,  
Your love and good-will for to have._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_If you intend thus to disdain,  
It does the more enrapture me,  
And even so, I still remain  
A lover in captivity._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_My men were clothed all in green,  
And they did ever wait on thee;  
All this was gallant to be seen,  
And yet thou wouldst not love me._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_Thou couldst desire no earthly thing,  
but still thou hadst it readily.  
Thy music still to play and sing;  
And yet thou wouldst not love me._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_Well, I will pray to God on high,  
that thou my constancy mayst see,  
And that yet once before I die,  
Thou wilt vouchsafe to love me._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves._

_Ah, Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu,  
To God I pray to prosper thee,  
For I am still thy lover true,  
Come once again and love me._

_Greensleeves was all my joy  
Greensleeves was my delight,  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,  
And who but my lady greensleeves…"_

Kurt noticed the gentle lyrics being sung by the other, but kept on playing. Rachel had never allowed him to get so close to another human being like this, unless it was his father, may he rest in peace. There wasn't a mirror in sight, so he hoped his Queen wouldn't be too angry with him.

When the song was finished, Kurt finished up, and ran from the room. Blaine was once more left in his wake, wondering what the hell was wrong with the other boy.

The third time Blaine tried anything, however, he went straight up to Kurt's room the next day, and found the door open, for some odd reason. He heard two people talking to one another, as well: Kurt and… a girl, which was odd, because girls weren't allowed in the boy's dormitories.

Blaine listened for a moment: "I told you not to do anything that would make Mr. Schuester and Ms. Holiday think you like it here!" the woman hissed.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," came Kurt's tiny voice.

Blaine peeked in and saw Kurt, alone, talking to a mirror, cowering slightly in the mirror's wake. Blaine put two and two together: only a demon would possess the reflection of a mirror… Soul-sucking creatures, the lot of them. Feeding off misery and fear, and the victims couldn't get away, for they worshipped their demon. Blaine wracked his brain for a way to help the other boy, and remembered that only love and happiness would free him.

And he would do it. He knocked politely on the door, as if he hadn't just been kind of creeping on the other.

Kurt straightened up and threw a towel over the mirror quickly. "Oh… hello, Mr. Anderson," Kurt said, rushing to the door. "How… how long have you been there?"

"Not long," Blaine lied. "I was wondering if you wanted to come down to the music room again. You're really talented and… I liked singing with you…"

Kurt looked to the mirror, but Blaine had already taken the other around the wrist, "Come on, let's go!" he said, and pulled at Kurt, who finally let himself be dragged by the other boy.

_So the demon hadn't yet taken a hold of all of him_, Blaine thought, relieved.

The demon seemed to scream at Kurt not to leave her, not to give in, but Blaine kept a firm hold on Kurt. And he would continue to hold on to Kurt until Kurt became happier, fell in love with Blaine (and vice versa) and, by doing that, vanquishing Rachel from any mirror Kurt stared into for the rest of his days.

THE END

* * *

Song Used: "Greensleeves" (Traditional)


End file.
